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Coast Guard: It may be getting warm out, but beware the water

BOSTON — With the U.S. Coast Guard gearing up and heading out into Boston Harbor, crews know they're about to be busy.

"It's definitely on the back of everybody's mind that as the weather warms up, there's always going to be those people who think it's okay," Petty Officer Zachary Hupp said.

With temperatures headed into the 70s, the Coast Guard worries people will head to the water not realizing how cold it still is.

"Even though the weather is getting warmer, the water is still terribly cold," Hupp said. "In the northeast, the waters can be deceptively cold."

Cold for people stuck in it, but also for rescuers.

While Coast Guard records show it's this time of year when boating accidents start to creep up, they hope people dress for the water temperature and not the air temperature.

"Today, the water temperature is 42 degrees and the body loses heat 25 times faster when you're submerged in cold water than it does when you're dry," said Hupp.

Whether it's hot or cold, the Coast Guard says your life jacket is key.

They told us 80 percent of the deadly accidents involve people not wearing a life jacket.